Pole supported fruit gatherer



Jan. 1, 1952 s, CARDINALE 2,581,236

POLE SUPPORTED FRUIT GATHERER Filed 001;. 22, 1949 INVENTOR.

034223 7921 (iii/MAW Patented Jan. 1, 1952 V UNITED STATES" PA'I'EN'I" OFFICE 2,581,233 3 j I POLE SUPPORTED FRUIT GATHERER I Salvatore Card'inale, Freeport, N. Y. I Application Definer-22, 1949, Serial No. 123,068

This invention relates to a fruit picking device. .'It is an object of the present invention to provide a fruit picking device which is automatic in its gripping action upon the fruit, the parts engaging with the fruit being spring pressed toward a closed position on the fruit and adapted to' be opened by mechanical action against the action of the springs and whereby the grip upon the fruit can be controlled and without great pressure and only by the pressure as measured by the springs. i

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a spring pressed fruit picking device which is of simple construction, inexpensivelto manufacture, easy to manipulate, has a minimum number of parts, and efi'lcient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,- in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the picker being applied to the fruit tree to engage with the fruit thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the engaging end of the picker.

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively horizontal sectional views taken respectively on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken through one of the picking prongs, there being threesuch prongs. 1

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally on line 7-4 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view. of a still further form of the invention utilizing still a different means for operating the picker fingers.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to I!) represents a pole to the upper end of which there is connected picker mechanism II. This mechanism comprises a cup-shaped housing l2 open at its upper end to receive fruit when the mechanism is elevated by the pole l beneath the fruit. This housing is open at the side, as indicated at 3, and has connected to the same a long fiexible tube l4 through which the fruit is dispensed and delivered to a basket which is supported therebelow. The tube 4 is connected to a special frame or wire it at its upper end and this wire can be fitted into a slot l1 and can be easily and readily removed.

Fixed to the bottom l8 of the housing l2, to

1 Claim. (01. 5 -334) which the upper end of pole I0 is 'adjustably connected by a clamping bolt means, as indicated at 9, is a vertically extending shaft 2|. Anchored as indicated at 22 is a fiat concentric coil spring 23 and'to the upright member 2|. The other end of this spring is fixed to a'casing 24 journalled on the upright member or shaft 2|. The upper end of this casing has radially extending'elongated slots 25, Fig. 4. Above the housing member 24 there is journalled a wheel 26about which pull cord 21 extends. This wheel has a bottom face '28 with arcuate elongated slots 29therein. The cable cord 21 is maintained in a woundposition uponthe wheel 26-bya'=coil spring 3| surroundingtheshaft 2|.

Fixed upon the upper end of the shaft 2| is a plate 32 onto which the fruit piece is dropped. The coil spring 3| is anchored to the plate 32 as indicated at 33. This spring 3| will tend to keep the cord 21 wound upon the wheel 26.

Upon the plate 32 are a plurality of circumferentially spaced brackets 34, three in number, which will support respectively three upwardly extending picker element fingers or prongs 35 which are covered with a soft material such as rubber and as indicated at 36. These fingers have lower projections which extend downwardly and inwardly and have rollers 31 disposed re spectively thereupon. These rollers extend through the arcuate slots 29 of the wheel 26 and enter the elongated radial slots 25 of the member 24. As the cord 21 is pulled, the lower ends of the fingers 35 will move outwardly so as to pivot inwardly the upper ends of the fingers about the fruit piece in the manner as shown in Fig. 1. These fingers will be caused to move outwardly because of the arcuate shape of the slots 29 in the wheel 26 acting upon the rollers 31. The springs 23 and 3| will then return the lower ends of the fingers 35 to their inner positions upon the cord being released. The lower end of the cord 26 is connected to a sleeve slide 38 which iseasily operated upon the pole piece Ill. The fingers 35 are returned to their retracted positions under the actions of the springs. The fingers can be rotated within the housing 21 by a continued pull of the cord, the plate 22 being rotatable upon the shaft 2 I. This rotation, however, of the fingers is against the action of the fiat concentric spring 23. The pull and the engagement of the fingers with the fruit is always through the spring 23 as the member 24 is biased for rotation upon the shaft 2| by this spring 23. In Figs. 6'and 7, there is shown a modified construction wherein rotation of plate 4| for straightened and the picking elements will be, pivoted inwardly at their upper ends to engage the fruit. A spring biased wheel; can be cqn1-.

nected to the plate 5| to rotate the same upon a shaft which may extend upwardly through an opening 52 in the plate and; @189;- an opening; 53 in the plate 45.

While various changes may be made in'thedetail contruction, it shall be understood that such'changes shall bewithin. the spirit and scope of the present invention as; defined; by the ap pended? claim.

Having: thus set forthanddisclosed; the nature of? my invention, what isolaimed is:-

In: afruit picking device, a pole, a, fruit: re,- ceiving housing open at its upper end, means forconnecting: said housing to the upper endotsaid pole, a shaft. fixed. to. the bottom of the housing and: extending upwardly. therefrom, a casingjournalledupon said shaft. adjacent; the bottom of said housing: and having radially. ex! tending slots; a concentric. coil spring, one: end of" said spring: being secured to. said' shaft and the other end thereof being-V secured to; said casing, a wheel journalled on said shaft above said casing, a cord wound on said wheel, means disposed on said pole for securing one end of said cord and movable along the said pole in axial direction, thereby pulling the said cord and unwinding the same from the said wheel, said wheel having radially extending arcuate slots therein, a fruit receiving plate secured to the pper ender e saidshaft e i spring surroundingsaid 'shaft; above theiwheel one end of said helical spring being connected to said t wheel and its other end to the said plate, picker elements pivoted upon the plate for inward and eutwardi movement, said picker elements having lgwer projections extending through said arcuate slots of said wheel into said radially disposed said? casing so that upon pulling or the cord the said wheel and said casing are rotated thereby forcing the lower projections of said picker. elements outwardly, the latter to be returned to their original: position" by' means, of said: spiral and helical springsv upon releasing said cord;

A ATORE ABDIN LE- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES s'rEN'rs 

